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There Is Not Going To Be A Solution To Our Economic Problems On The National Level

By Michael Snyder, on April 18th, 2012

For those waiting for our economic problems to be solved, you can quit holding your breath. There is simply not going to be a solution to our economic problems on the national level. So why is that the case? Well, it is because the economic policies of both major political parties are very, very similar when you take a close look at them. Yes, that statement may sound downright bizarre to many Americans, but it is true. Both major political parties supported the Wall Street bailouts, both of them fully support the job-killing “free trade” globalization agenda, both of them have dramatically increased the national debt when in power, both of them fully support the currency-killing policies of the Federal Reserve, and neither major political party would get rid of the income tax and the IRS. And that is just for starters. Yes, there are some minor differences when it comes to taxing and spending between the two parties, but the truth is that they are a lot more similar on economic issues than they are different. What we desperately need on the national level is a fundamental change in direction when it comes to economic policy, but we simply are not going to get that from either the Democrats or the Republicans. That means that there is no hope that the economic storm that is coming will be averted.

So why are the Democrats and the Republicans so similar on these issues? Well, a big reason is because of who they are trying to please.

The reality of the matter is that most politicians do not really care about what you or I have to say. Instead, what they are really concerned about is getting as much money for their campaigns as possible so that they can keep getting elected.

When you take a close look at the results of federal elections over the past several decades, it quickly becomes apparent that the candidate that raises the most money almost always wins.

So most politicians have learned to please those that fund their campaigns so that the money will keep rolling in.

Yes, there are a few candidates that are willing to rebel against “the system”, but they are few and far between and the major parties tend to marginalize them.

Once again in 2012, political races will overwhelmingly be won by those that raise the most cash. The following is from Politifact….

In congressional races in 2010, the candidate who spent the most won 85 percent of the House races and 83 percent of the Senate races, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That’s a large percentage, but it’s lower than what the sign indicated.

Indeed, the percentage for 2010 was lower than it had been in recent election cycles. The center found that in 2008, the biggest spenders won 93 percent of House races and 86 percent of Senate races. In 2006, the top spenders won 94 percent of House races and 73 percent of Senate races. And in 2004, 98 percent of House seats went to candidates who spent the most, as did 88 percent of Senate seats.

Once you understand how Washington works, it becomes easier to understand why our politicians do such stupid things.

For example, big corporations tend to donate large amounts of money to political campaigns and they love the “free trade” globalization agenda.

They love to import massive quantities of super cheap foreign goods so that they can undercut the prices of goods made in the United States.

They love to set up manufacturing facilities on the other side of the globe where it is legal to pay slave labor wages to workers.

The “free trade” agenda is great for the largest corporations, but it is horrible for the average American worker.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the U.S. economy loses approximately 9,000 jobs for every $1 billion of goods that are imported from overseas.

Trade with other countries can be good as long as it is balanced. Unfortunately, the U.S. trading relationship with the rest of the world is tremendously imbalanced.

In 2011, the United States bought more than 550 billion dollars more stuff from the rest of the world than they bought from us.

This trade deficit has enormous consequences that most Americans simply do not understand.

Over the past decade, tens of thousands of businesses, millions of jobs and trillions of dollars have left our country.

Our industrial base is being dismantled and we are rapidly becoming poorer as a nation.

America has a trade imbalance that is more than 5 times larger than any other nation on earth has. We are losing wealth, jobs and businesses at a pace that is absolutely astounding.

It is neither “conservative” nor “liberal” to commit national economic suicide.

Our trade imbalance with China is particularly bad. The U.S. spends about 4 dollars on goods and services from China for every one dollar that China spends on goods and services from the United States.

Does that sound fair to you?

China slaps huge tariffs on many of our products, they deeply subsidize their own national industries, the brazenly steal technology from us, and they manipulate currency rates so that their products end up being significantly cheaper than ours.

Our trade deficit with China in 2011 was nearly 300 billion dollars. That was the largest trade deficit that one country has had with another country in the history of the world.

Yet both major political parties refuse to do anything about it.

Back in 1985, the U.S. trade deficit with China was only 6 million dollars for the entire year.

In 2011, our trade deficit with China was more than 49,000 times larger.

The consequences of this trade deficit with China are being felt all over the United States every single day.

For example, the United States has lost an average of 50,000 manufacturing jobsper month since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

Do you support losing more than half a million manufacturing jobs a year?

If not, then you should be for “fair trade” instead of “free trade” where other nations can cheat us blind as often as they want.

The Economic Policy Institute says that since 2001 America has lost approximately 2.8 million jobs due to our trade deficit with China alone.

Do you think that the U.S. economy could use an extra 2.8 million jobs right now?

Sadly, if current trends continue things are going to get a lot worse.

According to Professor Alan Blinder of Princeton University, 40 million more U.S. jobs could be sent offshore over the next two decades.

That 7.5 trillion dollars could have gone to support U.S. jobs and U.S. businesses.

Taxes could have been paid on that 7.5 trillion dollars.

Instead, it went out of the country and made foreigners wealthier.

So what is Barack Obama doing about all of this?

Well, Obama has been aggressively pushing for even more “free trade” agreements. The Obama administration has inked deals with Panama, South Korea and Colombia and the Obama administration is making the Trans-Pacific Partnership (“the NAFTA of the Pacific“) a very high priority.

Mitt Romney wants to make it even easier for jobs to go out of the country and for other countries to drain our wealth. The following quote comes directly from the Romney campaign website….

Access to foreign markets is crucial to growing our economy. We must reassert American leadership in international negotiations, follow through on commitments we have already made, and push aggressively for advantageous new agreements.

So we are not going to see a change in direction in trade policy no matter who wins the next election.

That comes to $16,043.39 for every man, woman and child living in the United States.

What the Obama administration and the Democrats are doing to future generations is absolutely criminal.

So what about the Republicans?

Well, when the Republicans have had control of the White House they have run up debt “like a drunken sailor” as well.

If the Republican Party wants to have any credibility when it comes to fiscal issues, it needs to publicly admit that George W. Bush was a horrible failure when it came to the federal budget.

George W. Bush was a “big government” politician that dramatically increased the size of the federal government and spent money like it was going out of style.

He was not a conservative when it came to fiscal issues, and that is the truth.

Sadly, neither political party is proposing to balance the federal budget any time soon. There are a few politicians that have suggested doing this, but they have been marginalized.

So why don’t our politicians support living within our means?

Well, the truth is that if the federal government balanced the budget today, it would result in a catastrophic drop in living standards inside the United States. We are currently living in an era of debt-fueled “false prosperity”, and if that false prosperity were to disappear there would be riots in the streets of our major cities within months.

It is much easier for our politicians to continue to pile up more debt and to continue to kick the can down the road.

But this party cannot go on too much longer. Already, the United States has more government debt per capita than Greece, Portugal, Italy, Ireland or Spain.

As you can see from the chart below, we are in a whole lot of trouble….

Our foolishness will catch up to us in a big way eventually.

Another area where the two major political parties agree is that they both fully support the Federal Reserve.

The Federal Reserve is supposed to keep inflation low, but the truth is that the Fed has absolutely killed the value of the U.S. dollar. Just check out the chart below which was produced by the Fed itself. It shows how dramatically the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar has declined over the years….

Keep in mind that the chart above is using official government numbers which actually downplay how much the U.S. dollar has been debased.

If inflation was measured the exact same way that it was back in 1980, the annual rate of inflation would be more than 10 percent right now.

By any measure, the Federal Reserve has been a colossal failure for the American people. Since the Fed was created, our currency has lost more than 95 percent of its value and our national debt has gotten more than 5000 times larger.

The only good that will come out of a Romney win is the thought of Gary2 prowling the streets of Wisconsin kicking puppies and punching defenseless babies in the face.

Gary2

I guess the puppies are safe as romney will not win. no way no how. It will not even be close.

However, there is little difference between O’ Romney and Mittens Obama.

I would choose Obama anyday over mittens though.

VegasBob

Unfortunately, Gary2, I’ve been around long enough to see reality for what it is.

I’m a liberal and won’t vote for a Republican, but I think Romney will win in a landslide.

It will be a lot like Carter vs. Raygun 1980. The polls will be close until late October, but on Election Day the people will gravitate toward Romney because they know beyond doubt that they are far worse off economically than they were 4 years ago.

Unfortunately, a Romney victory will just be the equivalent of Bush the Dumber’s fourth term.

Michael is right. There is not going to be a solution to our economic problems.

ASolution?

The lamestream media is bought and paid for, there is a solution and his name is RonPaul. Goto RonPaul2012 and read how he is going to end the fed and the irs. The lamestream media doesn’t want you to know he is winning.

Tatiana Covington

Yet, I look around me, and everyone and everything all seem so… normal.

Ian

i keep saying that too. I am aware of the debt, and everything else, but i dont see it with people. At first i thought the area i lived in was just better off, then i moved and i still see the same thing. Nice houses, nice cars, stores crammed, people generally optimistic. Am i missing something here?

Brent

I agree with you. I am NOT seeing it where I live–crowded restaurants, everyone using hand held electronic devices, shopping baskets with huge flat screen televisions sets–there seems to be no sense of prudence much less anxiety. And certainly all the news outlets use the word, “recovery” relentlessly. And the retailers are all crowing about March sales.

B.

007

Uhhh..yea. Once Obama runs out of 1.3 trillion dollars worth of pizza and beer money a year this party will be over. It sound trite. However this spending pace is beyond insane. No nation has ever survived this in human history. How arrogant for us to think we can.

Eventually all the money printing will result in a wave of inflation that will crush this country like an empty beer can. Do you really think Bernanke will quit printing money? Do you think then Obama will get serious about balancing the budget?

It was nice on the Titanic right up until the ice water reached their ankles in first class. You need to look better. The warning lights are flashing everywhere.

mondobeyondo

Get the people out of their normalcy bias – and you will be surprised how abnormal society can become.

mark

We prepare more each month. I do think about what we can do to be better prepared for some of the things that might be coming. Today when we just happened to be near the place we buy dry pack food, we stopped in and bought another 30 #10 cans of food. We do not need this for ourselves, but we are stocking up for more of the neighbors that do not have the funds to do this. We will need our neighbors to band together with us for protection of our ranch. There is saftey in numbers of the right people if there is a collaspe. If a collaspe does not happen,at least we will never run out of food and our price is locked in at a lower price than in the future.

Otown Right Guy

But the Federal Reserve is at the very heart of our economic problems.

Doesn’t Mitt Romney understand that?
LOL! Mittens isn’t having any economic problems. The Fed is fine with him. It provides him cheap money to buy companies and fire workers. Making him even more money. Why would he want to change that?

markthetruth

great article as are the others combining yesterdays article with today’s remind me of one of my favorite lines from Micheal Douglas in Wall Street ” We don’t produce anything , Money isn’t lost or made. It’s simply transferred from one perception to another. I would like to see you write an article on speed and time as it seems as everything is getting faster and we are rushing around, and we still have no time and accomplish less. Haste makes waste.

Thanks

davidmpark

May I also suggest learning to make things, learn to barter, and make agreements to create a small bartering economy with others like-minded and prepared families and folks.

Steve

One bright note in this excellant article!
You forgot to mention, if you look at the “average 23 manufacturing facilites that close each day”.
You will find that the executives and managers have not lost their pension plans.

Gary2

socialism for the rich and well conected, brutal capitalism for the rest of us.

jsmith

I am getting ready. I have a 3-5 year plan to get the hell out of this doomed country while the getting out is good.

Mike

@jsmith….so, like where exactly do you plan to flee? Mexico, where they are having a particularly nasty drug war, complete with mutilated bodies in the street? Or, hey how about the countryside in Iraq, where no one is safe at any time of day or night? Why do you think the grass is greener on that side? Why are you inducing others to flee by your suggestions?

Ian

the world doesnt consist of just U.s., Mexico and Iraq.

mondobeyondo

How about Somalia? For all the talk about the U.S. and Mexico being “failed states”… Somalia is truly a study in national collapse and anarchy. They even have rogue pirates patrolling their coast! (Arrrrrgh! Pirates! Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum! A pirate’s life for me!!)

Yeah, got my passport ready. Mogadishu, here I come!

007

The Cook Islands, the Carribean, they are sellingIslands in Greece. Canada is even somewhat under control. Saving up to get the hell out of dodge is making more and more sense. There may be no perfect places to go but there are some truly crappy places to be…like Detroit or Camden, Philly, Chicago. You know places that have been under the democrats control for more than a decade.

Randy

Well, this is a good bit of truth. I was starting to worry about this site. I have been reading a lot and realized a couple of things:

We all have a right to our opinion, but that doesn’t make our opinion right.

Opinion will be nothing but opinion without an unbiased review of “ALL” the facts from a first hand source. This is pretty much impossible for most of us.

Most of us never get to “All” the facts. We watch Fox News or other news outlets and derive our opinion from that. Most of us are wrong.

We understand so little about what is going on behind the scenes it is scary.

It doesn’t matter if you are conservative or liberal, it is all the same. Most of us are centrists in the first place. We believe in Truth, Justice and the American way. They are taking this from us.

The bottom line for America is we are one country and should band together as one for the betterment of our society and to get all of the thieves, scammers and corrupt policiticians out of our capital. Until we do that, we are doomed as a nation. Just like all the other countries who have failed before us.

NickelthroweR

Greetings,

I do not know how things are outside of where I happen to be but I see a lot of prepping going on around me. Solar & wind energy systems are popping up everywhere and several of my neighbors are currently constructing water purification systems that turn ocean water into drinking water and the whole thing runs off solar power – it can produce 800 gallons of pure water per day. I asked my neighbor what he planned to do with so much water and he calmly said, “sell it. People can’t live for long without water.”

No one here is actually worried about some overnight collapse. Instead, many are concerned that as things get broken and wear out – things like public sanitation and our electrical grid, there wont be any money to have those systems replaced. C’mon, our infrastructure is aging and there isn’t a lot of maintenance happening at the moment. I think their concerns are valid.

At a minimum, I’d like to think that I could provide shelter, water and food for my family should there be an interruption in power, water or transportation. We should encourage others to do the same otherwise those that do not prepare will, in their desperation, attempt to take from the people that did prepare.

I point people to this website as well as The Automatic Earth, Chris Martenson, Zero Hedge, Jim Kunstler, Max Kaiser (RT) and Nakedempire. The word is getting out.

bobcat

Why don’t the politicians do something about the outsourcing of jobs and closure of manufacturing facilities? Oh but they are doing something. They are accelerating the process. The the democrats and republicans are bought and paid for.

Another major way they are alike is both Obama and Romney are war mongers. War is the most expensive activity a nation can undertake. Nothing else comes close. We’ve been at war for a decade with no end in sight. When one war ramps down, another ramps up.

It’s a double whammy. We’re rapidly depleting our tax base by sending all the high paying jobs abroad to make bigger profits for the CEOs and running up huge war debt.

There’s a limit and at some point, it will be reached.

http://survivalrealestate.com TJ Jackson

The thing that is scariest to me is the great number of people that do not believe nor accept this warning. The future belongs to the prepared and very few are choosing to acknowledge what is obvious. The future is going to be rough. Time to go out and get a few more supplies.

mondobeyondo

Nothing will change unless Ron Paul gets the Republican nomination, and the chances of that happening are now… let’s see… about .000001 percent.

So maybe it’s time to press the handle on the toilet. *sigh*

Jodi

I’m not really a fan an any of them and it sucks, Ron Paul is the only one that makes sense on the Fed. There is a game being played. That’s it! Flush!

Craig

You can press the handle on the toilet if “Goofball Paul” gets elected too. Meth labs, pot farms, free hookers for everybody with ole Goofball.

Gary2

free hookers for everybody

Hey maybe I would then vote for RP

Mark Leiby

Ignorance is bliss. I’m sure you’re very happy.

Save the Republic

I don’t recall him ever saying that the national government would be supporting the propaganda you’re spewing. You are a MSM programmed fool.

gary

I like Ron Paul too. He would be able to change nothing. Hes been in the system many years. One man is helpless. He knows the Essentials but could not implement them.

David

Michael,

Very good article. Balanced and informative. you did not take sides on this one and presented the information in an understandable way. I echo your closing comments. The future belongs to those who are prepared. When the stuff hits the fan it will be ugly, very ugly. The sense of national unity that was apparent during the Great Deperession has long since left this country. The rich will live in walled off protected communities while the 99% are left to fend for themselves. Food, water and skills will keep people alive. Those who did not prepare with the above will simply be a statistic. It is sad but, unfortunately, it seems to be the fate of man. The Republicans and Democrats are in a war of divide and conquere and they are succeeding. No one will change anything as long as it benefits them. They no longer care!

Thanks

chiller

Because American people are very lazy when it comes to digging out the facts, they mindlessly rely on the media to make their decisions. Because our media is owned and operated by those same powerz who pay for their minion politicians, our lazy population has only their boyz to choose from. More are waking up all the time, hence the guberments attempts to silence the outlets waking them up. By the time enough are awake, the renegade guberment will have even more insidious laws and plans in place to deal with freedom loving people they consider their enemies. If you ever been woke up from a sound sleep by someone beating on you, it results in you fiercely fighting back while the assaulter tries to knock you out before becoming fully awake.

Richard

“If not, then you should be for “fair trade” instead of “free trade” where other nations can cheat us blind as often as they want.”
Interesting how Snyder pretends to criticize America for all the trade problems but really he’s got it in for the “evil foreigners” who are “cheating us”. Poor, darling, victimized Americans… all their nice jobs being stolen by the greedy foreigners. This is the basic American attitude and this, alone, is what will cause WWIII as the government attacks these countries out of resentment and jealousy (like Britain did to Germany, thereby causing WWI). We’ve seen it all before, folks…

Chris

Thank you for the article Michael and I agree with you the policies of Globalisation are idiotic but I believe the politicians in the West were and are fully aware of the catastrophic consequences that this was going to have on jobs and manufacturing and decided to go ahead anyway. These people are neither idiots or incompetent, they are extremely devious, greedy and have no great liking for the country of their origin but have a great desire for wealth and power in a Globalised system aka a One World Government aka the NWO aka the kingdom of the Antichrist.
The central banks of the West I believe conspired to create an artificial boom over the last 20 years to cover up the damage that was being done by Globalisation policies. That damage is now obvious.
I can only conclude that there will possibly not be an actual collapse of the financial system but an imposition of a new global system following from a global write off of all debt and removal of all cash from the system. This will be the mark of the beast system.

robert

great article. it reminds me of the golden rule. those with the gold make the rules. thats why people like corzine dont go to jail.

gary

robert—- Corzine didnt go to jail because there was too much money missing for him to keep track off. He didnt know where it all was.

john.s

god help us all..

K

Well done, at last an article that exposes the real problem. Both parties are equally corrupt. The game is rigged, and has been for a long time. The only way to win at a rigged game, is not to play. A middle of the road, third party with broad support could work. But since less the 10%, of the citizens even know what is going on. I do not see it happening.

Rowell

So, basically, the answer is “Abandon Ship”?
Gather up the important things you need, throw them into a lifeboat and cast off from the sinking ship?

That’s a pretty scary image there. The sad part is, most Americans can’t really even afford to take the steps they’ll need to get ready for the storm that’s coming. Stocking up on food by buying extra non perishable foods on every shopping trip will take time. Plus, the way food prices are rising, it will become harder to do so. The other things, like solar panels, generators, and the like are beyond the reach of many. Plus, what happens to those that rent, or are living in an apartment complex, or live in a city (which will be the centers of strife)?

Americans are angry. You can see it in the news, you can see it in comments that follow almost all news stories or blogs. They’re seething because their politicians have sold them out. They’re angry because 98% of the “news” and information they get are from tilted news-entertainment industries with political motives of their own. They’re angry because they are being trained to be angry and hateful, instead of concerned about the important things. Why worry about the deficit when there are more important things to worry about like gay marriage, abortion or the death penalty. A year ago last month, I said you’ll know when the campaign really picks up when the most talked about items are social issues…not what is most important in this country (jobs, the deficit, the economy, fair trade vs free trade, etc). And I was right.

When this thing finally does hit, when the economy tanks, when banks close their doors and stop allowing customers to withdraw money, when supermarket shelves are bare…it’s going to be a firestorm of riots, destruction and chaos. It’s easy to say get ready for it. But the reality is, getting ready for the end of an “empire” is not such an easy thing. Especially today, where the average citizen is stupid, ignorant, pompus and stubborn. Sadly, the average American today is nothing like those who fought for our freedom 200+ years ago. There is no unity, there is no pride (no REAL pride), there is no compassion. And in that, it’s going to get pretty ugly in the future.

mondobeyondo

Well, no, not necessarily. You could become the captain of this ship (hey, we need a few leaders around here!) And then you can go down with the ship.

Is that to say there is no hope at all? Well…
There is always hope. But the odds are not in our favor, and the way things stand now, we aren’t doing anything to boost the odds in our favor. Instead, the government keeps blasting more holes in the hull, making the ship sink even faster. Way to go, government! They are professionals at making bad situations worse.

Sailor Trash

My wife and I are quite prepared to abandon ship…in our ship. Sailboat, solar panels, watermaker, wind turbine, ammo, canned/dried food, and fishing and netting gear. When this country folds we are gone, probably to Saint Kitts, Trinidad, or Grenada. I served this country in uniform, and I’ll be d@mned if I’m going to watch it collapse into a banana republic. We’ll up-anchor and go live in a third-world country of our choosing.

http://www,Back2theLand.com Old Timer

Our “system” is no longer predicated on the Constitution for the President to initiate legislation and “guide” the nation based upon party principals. The President is told what to say and do, and represents a figurehead only while the handlers manage the country to their goals. Were you or I were placed as President we would not have any real say-so. THe monied interests would.

Politics have changed.

Looking down the road it will get more pot holes and more junk cars by the wayside

OT, back in the garden.

Syrin

There isn’t going to be a solution PERIOD !!

It’s practically a mathematical impossibility. We are broke at EVERY level. Plus, the books are rigged to keep trillions of dollars worth of unfunded liabilities and debt off the record (if my business did that, we’d be in jail). The solution being used by the gov’t is to de-base the dollar as fast as is possible.

So here’s where we stand:

1) Hyperinflation the likes of which we saw in Weimar and Zimbabwe
2) Sovereign bankruptcy

Perhaps BOTH. All endorsed by GARY!!! Got to have more social dedpendency programs, right GARY ?!?! That’s what created a strong economy and middle class for this country! Welfare and Medicaid! Moron.

Gary2

when you respond to my calling out all your lies I will respond to you.

PS–We need to tax the rich and spread the wealth.

gary

Syrin— I think you are referring to Gary2. Calling for tax the Rich while on his knees with a tin cup. No Conservative or moral Values. Looking up at the rich and hating them. Always looking for someone else to make his way. Is that the Gary you are referring to? Syrin?

Paul76

Excellent article Michael. Sad to say, but we’re reaching the point where the Captain says, “Abandon ship, every man for himself.” Not that our “Captain Obama” would ever admit that! I’m pretty sure he’ll jump into the last lifeboat and leave the rest of us to drown. :>(

Jodi

I don’t understand why we always get a choice between the lesser of the two evils. It’s really aggravating that its looking like Romney is going to be the GOP nominee. I believe the establishment really wanted him to be the guy and yes he has raised the most money of all of them. I just don’t get it, when are people going to wake up. Another thing that happens quite often, people like to vote for familiar faces instead of researching the candidates. People pick them because the seem nice or in my case the state I live in is because Romney is a Mormon. They are going to pick a guy because of those reasons over track record? I have never trusted Rommey, a this point at least he’s not a Commie.

By the way, our local news channel today asked on there FB page. What will kids who are born in 2012 NEVER KNOW EXISTED? Most people have answered Freedom, Constitution, Pledge of Allegiance, etc. Maybe people are waking up. Tomorrow they are going to reveal the top 10 answers. My guess they are not going to be honest about the answers.

Jodi

I would like to say one more thing about Romney. Although I’m not a fan, I’m still going to support him. We can’t afford another 4 years under Obummer. If Romney gets elected, we cannot fall asleep at the wheel. We must hold his feet to the fire.

gary

Jodi—-I like your spirit; but Im afraid its too late. Even the sleight chance that Romney is successful will be no change. Obama even has the power to suspend the Election if he wants to.

Rhynn

The only difference between Obama and Romney is the choice of zoo animal on their propaganda paperwork and whether they walk or run us into WWIII.

Romney will run us there. Like it was a 40 yard dash. He’s already promised to do so just like the rest of the warmongering bozos on the Right. The Left isn’t far behind, but had Romney or Santorum been in the White House the last 4 years we’d already be glowing in the dark.

At least Obama had the faculties and guts to argue with Netanyahu before rolling every bomber and fighter jet in the country to fly against whichever target his whims dictate. These other dopes will have us shooting at Israel’s Middle Eastern monsters under the bed until hell freezes over.

Save the Republic

Why would you say you don’t like having to choose between the lesser of two evils, and then pick one of them anyway? It doesn’t matter if Obummer or ORomney win, you and I will still be the loser. Why not vote for a real game changer like Ron Paul? The only way the American people are ever going to win is to STOP DOING THE SAME THING THEY HAVE ALWAYS DONE IN EVERY ELECTION, namely, picking the lesser of two evils. It doesn’t matter if it’s lesser. If you’re voting for evil, it’s evil. You, and the majority of American people, must change this thought process REAL FAST if we have any hope of turning things around.

knightowl77

You’re right GWB was no conservative no matter what the RNC leadership or Karl Rove might argue…
The leadership of both parties needs to grow government to gain power. Neither side gives a cow turd about us, it is all about telling us what we want to hear, so that we will contribute or at least vote for the side that promises them the most…
Is Obama an abomination… You betcha…
Is Romney am abomination… you betcha

Over the last 20 years, I have come to realize when voting for the pres, that I am not voting for someone I want to vote for, or that I like. Instead the parties force me to vote for the Lesser of Two Evils or choose between dumb and dumber, or Beavis and Butthead….
There is not 1 thing about Obummer that I like, not 1…He lies continually, he mocks people who disagree with him, and frankly his arrogance amd ineptitude know no bounds. I am not even sure this clown even likes the country he is president of.
Romney is not much of an improvement, but I do get the “feeling” he likes this country, that government will not grow as fast, that my taxes will not go up, that perhaps Obamacare will be repealed……………………..
Not much to go on, but if Obummer stays none of those things will happen. Cass Susstein will keep writing BS regulations, Eric Holder will keep supporting the Black Panthers and the race industry over everyone else, Obummer might get to name 2 more justices to SCOTUS. The EPA will keep up their environmental gestapo practices and this country may get more in bed with the UN.

Barry Hussein Sotero Obama must GO…I would vote for the most incompetent idiot on earth to get him out, I would even vote for Gary2 over the current marxist in the WH.

Michael

You have got one vote Gary.

Michael

SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE

AFTER FIGURING OUT HOW MUCH A TRILLION IS I DONT THINK RON PAUL OR GARY2
CAN SAVE US

Craig

That post by Knightowl77 was funny and entertaining.

Gary2

Thanks I guess

mondobeyondo

President Gary2??
Yikes! Run to the hills! To Panama! Nicaragua!
To arms, to arms! Two legs, even!!

Gay Veteran

as Gerald Celente says, what self respecting person would vote for the lesser of two evils?!?!?

we have NO choice! Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin

Cinderella Man

No kidding there is no hope in Repukes or Democraps! As long as their attitude is “My side can spend better than your side” We the American Sheeple will continue to suffer. Im so discouraged I dont even want to vote. Its depressing to realize we have no choice or say about what happens to the future of the country. Either way the banksters win! Just read an article on MSN that the National Alliance to end Homelessness is expecting the homeless population to surge 5% over the next 3 years when govt. programs end. So there’s the solution and problem in a nutshell. Nobody is thinking along the lines that the govt. and their “free trade” policies are contributing to the unemployment/homeless problem. Yes we do need those 2 million+ jobs back! And we need a living wage to keep up with the decimating inflation in our everyday lives! Govt. deficit spending is just keeping the masses docile so we wont be storming the govt. offices with torches in hand!! But you are right Michael, austerity is coming and Im willing to bet we will see the start of it after the election. Sorry no hope and change for the Gary2’s of the world the pain is going to be spread all around!!

Daniel

The politicians give people what they want. That is why the country is bankrupt; we want to be given things. We have become a welfare state because people have come to expect handouts.

You get the government you deserve. If fiscally responsible measures were instituted tomorrow there would be rioting in the streets and civil unrest like never before. That is why reform measures, if ever instituted, will take years to implement. People want their welfare in whatever form they receive it, be it the teachers union, federal, state and local goverment workers, the professional military, or plain old fashioned welfare recipients. Virtually everyone collects taxpayer dollars, or borrowed and printed money, in some form or another today.

nowwthen

This article is a terrific testimony to the fact that the country’s financial problems are of a bipartisan making. Every president and almost every member of congress at least as far back as the days of LBJ have had a hand in getting us to this point. Johnson’s “Great Society” of the 60s, Nixon’s and Kissinger’s ping pong diplomacy with China in the 70s and the technological changes brought on by TI, Intel, Microsoft, IBM, plus NAFTA, CAFTA etc. all led us to where we are now. The difference between then and now is that what possibly were unintended consequences years ago are now the intentional, obvious and undeniable cause and effect results of continuing to grow our massive debt and trade deficits.
The odd thing is that there are people determined to get elected knowing that soon they will be confronted with the impossible job of dealing with the inevitable economic meltdown. Power is a strong drug.

Nancy

Unless we get control of “our employees” in DC, nothing will change. They shouldn’t be able to vote themselves raises, perks, bennies, pensions, etc. WE should be the ones doing that. Get the money out of their pockets and promises of the good life, and we will then get honest people representing us. Doesn’t matter which side of the aisle – except I would like to get confirmed communists out of the WH NOW.

Cleo

I think there is a start to a solution….get govt out of the way….taxes, regulations, healthcare,federal reserve, etc. Every time they try to fix anything it only gets worse through unintended consequences. We need to quit looking to govt for solutions as they caused all of our problems in the first place.

I’m not looking for that to happen, so you best be prepared for the oncoming onslaught as we descend into the abyss. And, of course, prayer….lots of it.

Slavery still exists in America, today it is in the form of Economic Slavery, a person is less mobile today. We are moving back toward the days of the civil war, not based on the color of a person’s skin but on the amount of green in their pocket.

Socialize the losses — Privatize the gains. It will soon replace In God we trust on our currency.

Why are we not talking about why this nation finds itself in this position? Why are you not discussing the causation, tax cuts for job creators for the past 3 GOP Administration, the redistribution of wealth that has taken place as a result of trickle down economics, the proposed Ryan tax plan which will accelerate this continued transfer of wealth, cut entitlements, and safty nets?

Why not discuss the collapse of other nations which failed because of massive transfers of wealth to the top 2% in history, such as Rome and Venice. and compare that to what is happening in the US? Why not discuss the cost of health care. twice as much as the rest of the worlds industrialzed nations.

Why not discuss what worked during the Clinton years, and what has failed during the Bush Administration, and how the GOP is simply trying the same old failed policies again?

COMPLETELY! I admit I’m completely Maladjusted to the society Progressives have built. I’m not fit for this system.

Save the Republic

Gary is right about one thing. The fat cats have been giving away American jobs for decades now, all so they can funnel the extra money gained by the cuts into their own (the top 1%) pockets.

ScoutMotto

“Why not discuss what worked during the Clinton years..”

Because nothing worked during the Clinton years. He sold us down the river with signing NAFTA. There’s a failed policy example right before your eyes.

Gary2

true that on NAFTA. Like I said look at what worked, not what did not work.

TX4Life

I remember my now deceased father pacing the floor when Clinton signed NAFTA. He was beside himself and predicted the huge loss of jobs. At that time, he mentioned how many people in our area had gotten out of farming over the past 25 years and said thanks to NAFTA, alot of people would have to return to farming just to feed their families and their neighbors.

Tim

oh , don’t worry people! There WILL be a solution on the national level but not before the economic situation deteriorates to an unbearable level.The people in charge today are not capable of dealing with such problems anyway , they need to be replaced and they will be replaced but not before the whole system goes down.At this point I think it is very well possible that there will be a russian-1917-style revolution in the states because the establishment will not turn over it’s power without delivering a hell of a fight and at the same time today’s americans are hardly capable of living in total poverty as did their ascendants in the 19th century… stay tuned!!!

Chris

If there is a Russian style revolution in the USA you can expect that your traitors/leaders will ask and get foreign troops on US soil through the UN in order to restore their authority. Foreign troops will be more likely to fire on Americans than US troops and the same applies to that situation if t occurs in other countries.
Somewhere there is a recent (from the 90s) Kissinger quote along the lines of ‘Today if the American people saw foreign troops on US soil they would be outraged, tomorrow they will be grateful’

Paranoid

I’m old, fat, retired, and lazy, They get foreign troops in the US, enforcing their laws; Even I will start getting a mite peeved. Here in Wyo. I’d bet we could get Game and Fish to put a bounty on Blue Hats

AntiLieGuy

They do have a plan for America and that is our total annihilation by Russia, China and the sCO the same day as the next false flag to invade Iran. This is the war of Armageddon and you can know it is now because of Planet X, its effects, and the chemtrails that hide it every day globally.

IHS

Is Ron Paul the only guy who wants to do something about this problem? If someone like him got elected, could that person actually do something about this mess?

Barn Cat

No, Ron Paul couldn’t do anything if he was elected. We have $3 trillion in official spending, $2 trillion in income, an additional $5 trillion in unfunded liabilities for this year alone. You can’t take in $2 trillion and spend $8 trillion. There’s no way to make the kind of cuts necessary to turn things around.

mondobeyondo

It would be an incredible challenge for whoever wins the White House in November. Whether it’s Romney, Obama, Gingrich, or Paul. This country is in an incredible fiscal and social Mess.

Frankly, pushing a boulder up to the summit of Mount Everest would be easier.

Craig

Michael this article needs to be read on to a national audience. You should be a regular on WorldNetDaily or some other such site. Nobody else is talking about the plight of the middle class, yet we are the biggest voting block and group of people in the country! We were forgotten over 20 years ago by our politicians, and now all political forces and the media are working against us. You really need a wider audience–seriously.

Michael

Craig:

Thank you for those very kind words. These articles are actually picked up by a number of much larger websites, so that definitely helps with exposure.

And I am so thankful for all the readers that share these articles on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.

Every little bit helps and the more we can push these articles in front of the eyes of the “sheeple” the more good that they will do.

Michael

brother david

Ron Paul cannot do anything about this predicament. We the people (WTP) must do something about this predicament. Unless WTP rise together to demand the end of the Fed and a debt based currency/economy, we will become a nation of poor. Our children will have no choices in their lives except to take wage slave jobs or enter the military/government serfdom. The government, the banks and the corporations have created an unholy trinity that must be dismantled or WTP will become slaves of the ruling elite.

The media and the government lackeys are bought and paid for by the highest bidder. Corporations are out to become the shadow government through lobbying and campaign contributions. The people have become irrelevant unless we rise with one voice to resist. “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace” Thomas Paine

tonto

I voted for Paul last election and I will write his name in once again this election IF he does not win the Republican nomination.
I refuse to waste my vote on the lessor of the two evils. I care about this country and vote for whom I think is the best president.
Yes both establishment parties are bought and paid for.
Too big to fail means banks will be paid off for their losses. This will flood the world with dollars. And if the local bank is closed I don’t think it will matter in a hyperinflation status.
This is another link that should be passed around http://demonocracy.info/infographics/usa/derivatives/bank_exposure.html
Sadly very few people read books. If they did they would know what has happened in the past in the world and this country. Some do not realize that the currency in this country has collapsed 5 or 6 times before. And it wipes out the middle class each time.
The bankers are in charge. And the fed reserve is NOT owned by the govt – its privately owned. Google it if you think I am kidding.
Want to know why the market is up? google plunge protection team.
Only when the majority get informed will things change.

Save the Republic

Give my vote liberty, or give it death. My vote will be for Ron Paul, even if I have to write it in.

Since many like me will be voting the same way, ORomney will never win. So stop all of the “I’ll vote for anyone but Obamma” nonsense and vote for the only possible other candidate that can win, the only candidate that has proven through his record that he will be different than the rest and not follow the status quo…Ron Paul.

Saq

If you see this Tonto, what boooks would you recommend? I read all the time. I’d like to know what others have read as well.

mondobeyondo

What can we do? Or more importantly, what will we do?
Based on our prior track record, the people will do nothing at all. Bend over and take our spanking. “Thank you, sir, may I have another?”

Pathetic… yes, I know.

Eric

Save for Ron Paul getting elected, everyone should be getting ready for the worst and hoping for the best. Equal importance needs to be given to buying survival goods AND planning. Without a plan, your $x thousands of goods won’t help. I thought I heard a weather siren last night (it was a slow-moving train) and it made me realize that even though I have some goods stored, I’m not nearly as ready as I should be. Your whole family needs to know the plan and adhere. Even if they thinking preparing is stupid or they are scared, get them involved. Little by little and eventually they will at least come to tolerate it. Planning is often overlooked and so very important. When do you leave? What do you take with you? How long do you wait it out? If you’re staying, what actions to take in an immediate local emergency? Communications, weapons, first aid, entertainment. A lot to think about and all importnat to life. Good luck.

Brian

another civil war when we collasp america no more
america is like the hunger games

http://www.freedomrings1776.com/ DANNY JEFFREY

The nation faces not only economic ruin but civil war as the nation disintegrates. The two parties still do have some differences but not enough to really be called a choice. Both have moved to the left and are far more concerned with the next election than the next generation.
If America survives it is going to be from actions taken by the middle class patriots, not our corrupt politicians.http://www.freedomrings1776.com/2012/04/romney-versus-obamathe-decline-of.html#more

Me

Told you.

All the same, they are.

Is Ron Paul even in the running anymore?

If anyone says “***********, don’t vote for Ron Paul, because you’ll be splitting the Republican vote and handing the white house to Obama”… I would say “does it matter?”

Mitt ‘Bomney…

mondobeyondo

Ron who??

(and the mainstream media just made their point.)

Save the Republic

Ron Paul will be in the running until the minute the polls close on general election day, because even if he is not listed by a “party”, his name can be written in, and probably will be chosen by a significant percentage of Repubs, Demos that are disgusted with OBummer’s lack of results, and Independents.

http://moonbeam moonbeam

You are so right,it does not matter who will win,it is an auction to highest bidder..i unregestered today!!

http://worldendsat5newsat11.blogspot.com Tony Lamb

We are all going to HELL…
Some worse than others but you can bet the bankers and big shot politicians have cozy underground facilities with lots of water, food etc. stored and will be just fine, so don’t worry about them.
Worry about your OWN ass!!!
See how to survive the economic collapse at:http://surviving12-21-2012.blogspot.com

ec

Don’t count Ron Paul out yet.

liberranter

Thank you, Michael, for writing an article that the average Amoricon desperately needs to read (or, perhaps more helpfully, have read to them). Unfortunately, since the average Amoricon neither reads nor is interested in having anyone explain to them complicated but important facts, it is unlikely that the message you’ve crafted here will reach its intended audience. I supposed you’ll have to settle for having the choir as an audience yet again.

Michael

Well, I am always trying to push these articles out into the mainstream as far as possible so that they can get beyond the choir.

Michael

Save the Republic

Sad, but I believe absolutely true. Dancing with the Stars and American Idol are much too important to waste time on the future of the republic we live in.

Fight for michael

hello everyone just checking to see if Michael is accepting new comments

Michael

I always accept new comments – sometimes it takes a few hours for me to get to moderating them though.

Michael

Benjik

Serious discussion on fiscal policies, social issues, unsustainable debt or unprecedented job-loss? Phooey! Who cares about those boring issues?

Both the White House and the Romney Campaign are completely focused on the REAL issue facing millions of Americans: What they hate more, the guy who strapped a dog kennel to his car roof 30 years ago or the guy who ate a dog 40 years ago.

Does anyone else get the feeling that we are becoming a complete laughing stock to the rest of the world?!

VyseLegendaire

Don’t vote. Pray.

Steven L. Greene

I would like to thank all of those who are planning to help others. We can not turn away anyone who needs our help. This is not to say that we shouldn’t protect what we have from those who would come to take it from us! Our actions in the upcoming trials & tribulations that are soon to come will be judged by God. I for one will not sell my immortal soul on the chance that what I hoard from others to keep my family & myself alive for a few weeks or a few months longer could be worth the cost it would incur. There will be great suffering for us all to endure & those who choose to welcome the hungry & cold can be repaid by their working for our help! Don’t set your sites so hard on being caught up with the living. We who believe will srill rise from the dust! May God bless us all! Love!

Aaron M

I want Obama for another four years. But only because I want to watch the democrats squirm. And because basically I don’t really give a crap about this country. Human folly is entertaining though.

Keep voting, suckers!

http://homecomputer concerned

JUST THIS WEEK OVER 2.000 PEOPLE SHOWED UP FOR A LOCAL JOB FAIR IN THE NC AREA I LIVE NEAR. REALLY WHERES THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY ? THERE WERE ABOUT 40. MIXED WAGE JOBS OFFERED. FROM HOURLY TO SALARIED, EMPLOYEES. THEY HAD TO GET EMERGENCY SECURITY PERSONEL.FOR THE CROWD CONTROL.FOR 40 JOBS..NOT A GOOD THING WAIT TILL SHTF ECONOMICLY. OR A CATASTOPIC ECONOMIC EVENT…

Old Man

America considerable economic, financial and social problems were largely created at the national policy level. The same bunch of people, the same bunch of ideologies, from the 2 political parties are still in charge.

The people who created problems cannot solve them.
– Albert Einstein

Gwyn

I am sure the people of Greece thought their government would never let them down. Or steal their retirement.
I think we can see that, Leaders, do what is in the best interest of their own pocket. And will not lose any sleep over the pain they cause.

Till it get unsafe and then they will wonder why the public hate them?

I know many of you believe that a change in White House will make things a lot better.
I do not, I only believe one group will hurt me slower. Giving me time to ready my home as best I can. One more can tuna or bag of rice or more spices, each month.

Paranoid

I am afraid we are already off the edge and it no longer makes any difference who wins; but we may have a few more freedoms left if BO loses. On the other hand I was in Spokane last week and Walmart was selling #10 cans of FD food, people are starting to get the message. .

Michael is right–it doesn’t matter who’s elected in the long run. While I agree Romney is by far better than Obama, he’ll only slow our descent into economic oblivion, not stop it.

I almost hope Obama wins for the simple fact that when the SHTF he takes the blame for the calamity like Hoover did during the Depression.

But, we’re so divided as a country. The other side will rally around Obama and blame Bush. And those that prepared will be too busy fighting off the looters, the unemployed, and the hungry to worry about what their government is doing to fix it–which will surely be the death of the Constitution, the death of any and all liberty.

mondobeyondo

The Blame Game is getting old.

Obama blaming Bush, who blamed Clinton, who blamed Reagan, who blamed Kennedy, who blamed FDR, who blamed Lincoln, who blamed Napoleon, who blamed Julius Caesar, etc. Give it a rest.

Apparently, politicians have never heard of personal responsibility.

Rich

It is not going to change because it is INTENTIONAL! by both parties who want a NWG, and can’t wait to finish this country off.

Gay Veteran

what a “choice” we have:

Barack “Goldman Sachs” Obama

versus

Mitt “Wall Street” Romney

“…They [korporations] love to set up manufacturing facilities on the other side of the globe where it is legal to pay slave labor wages to workers….”

Plus no environmental laws, so they can spew out all the poisons they want.

Winston Smith

Neither, you are not under the gun to vote and not sure why everyone thinks they HAVE to vote, even? Is this the “freedoms” we ahve in the country? forced to vote and only 2 choices?
What about other parties? Greens? Libertarians? CP?

Really?

Do you really think your votes count or are even counted in the grand scope of things. They run a tight ship at the top, the figure head they put in the whitehouse is of their choosing not by popular vote, I’m sure of that.

tom miller

Why does this writer always try to sound like what he states in his articles is some big revelation? I mean DUH, everything you say has been known by anyone with a clue for ages. Its really annoying the way he tries to come across as the bringer of enlightenment to all us ignorant yokels. Give it a rest.

xander cross

Simple, he is in on it. Just like how alex jones just only tells 95% of the truth but leaves out the remaining 5% out to keep you in a state of confusion. I always known something was not right especially how he attacks the poor a lot. He likes to do that so that tea party republcians can support the site. He is with the middle class, but the problem is that the middle class loves Mitt Romney.

Rich people don’t make their money by dealing among theselves but by bringing in fresh money from outside their circle.

All the money that the Fed is printing is only play money that don’t even goes to the people but to war.

PJ

The author of the article and the commentators all talk as if they believe jobs are “zero sum” – as if there are only just so many jobs to go around and that most of them are being shipped outside the country. When Obama is voted out of office, I hope the small r Republicans change things so that small business will flourish. Jobs created by small business are the backbone of the nation anyway. And if you believe those jobs still won’t be enough, then start “voting with your feet.” Move to a conservative state. Get involved in a small community and the local barter economy. If you don’t buy the cheap goods imported – made by those who gained our exported jobs – then that throws a monkey wrench into their corrupt schemes, and you may re-gain some measure of control over your elected officials. We are not completely powerless. We still have freedom to choose what we buy. At least, we do until the Obamacare ruling comes down from the Supreme Court this Fall. If they decide the gov-mint CAN tell you what to buy, it may be all over anyway.

Piglet

[Well, Obama has been aggressively pushing for even more “free trade” agreements. The Obama administration has inked deals with Panama, South Korea and Colombia and the Obama administration is making the Trans-Pacific Partnership a very high priority.] You can add this to the cost of having the American Empire. Those seven new military bases in Columbia and the countless bases in South Korea aren’t freebies. Those countries want, and get, something in return for allowing the American Empire is plant itself where it wants. You can expect more of this, too, after seeing this headline: “U.S. plans for larger presence in Pacific.” Seehttp://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/04/navy-larger-pacific-presence-china-samuel-locklear-042112w/

Empire comes at a stiff cost to the American economy, but Our Glorious & Gifted Rulers in DC would prefer that we not notice.

Face the reality, folks. Both are horrible choices, and either way we are screwed.

[By the way, our local news channel today asked on there FB page. What will kids who are born in 2012 NEVER KNOW EXISTED? Most people have answered Freedom, Constitution, Pledge of Allegiance, etc.] Despite the feel-good nonsense we have been fed since childhood, the Pledge is actually a loyalty oath to the government, and reciting governmental loyalty oaths is not an action taken by free people. See:

The Pledge has been so long ingrained in all of us that to even question it provokes outrage, but as one of the characters in the film “Platoon” said many years ago, “Free your mind and your a$$ will follow.”

http://theeconomiccollapseblog Leonard

Amen for this one! Things are not going to get much better either way. Both major parties keep screwing up! We should all wake up to the fact that our lifestyle is essentially over despite the fact the the consequences haven’t fully sunk in yet

Great Article micheal. Might I suggest writing one about the Federal reserve 100 yr lease expiring in 2013? The lame stream media isn’t going to cover it. Maybe if more people were aware that ‘they’ are up for renewal next year, we can do something about it.

Michael

I will do my best to write more about the Fed.

Michael

Utah Survivalist

Really? Too bad we’re positioned to renew the lease! What a coup that would be to kill it at this pivotal time. In Washington, it would go over about as well as a fart in church.

Nadja

Let’s talk about high technology. There is no shortage of engineers, yet our friendly government continues to expand the number of H1-Bs (foreign workers) allowed in, and in fact, wants to give them all green cards!

It isn’t that people from India or China are brighter or better educated – it is that companies hire and pay them at a lower level than the actual work they are doing. Then, if they eventually leave the US, they go home, where intellectual property laws regarding foreign inventions isn’t very strict, and start businesses that compete with ours.

Meanwhile, idiotic university faculty preferentially give graduate assistantships and fellowships to foreign students since they “come from poor countries” and “cannot benefit from the *excellent* student loan programs Americans can use.” Well, would you rather wind up $100K in debt at graduation, or would you rather finish with a Bachelor’s degree?

If our policies don’t change soon, we’re going to be as poor as Mexico or Guatemala.

The Central Bankers WANT a ‘global’ economic collapse, particularly in the ‘EU’, and eventually [possibly as early as Aug/Sept, 2012] in the U.S. Why? So, that they can step in with their PRE-PLANNED “SOLUTION”: A ONE-WORLD CURRENCY, UNDER THEIR CONTROL. They may even try to back this international currency with GOLD, since Central Bankers own MOST of the above-ground, investment-grade gold – all of this, allowing them to remain in control, as we move from one monetary/currency system, to the next. REMEMBER THIS: THE CENTRAL BANKERS WANT A GLOBAL ECONOMIC COLLAPSE. For that reason ALONE, people should be SERIOUSLY anticipating that IT WILL BE A REALITY, in the not-too-distant future, POSSIBLY within a few months from now, or at the end of 2012, at the earliest. PREPARE NOW: 1) WATER filtration/purification system, 2) FOOD storage, to get you through 6 months to 1 year, 3) SEEDS, non-gmo, non-hybrid, 4) EXTRA MEDICINE(S), ASPIRIN, multi-vitamins, etc., 5) EXTRA PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS, 6) DURABLE CLOTHING, especially work boots, pants, shirts (buy Made in USA), 7) PMs, SILVER & a little gold BULLION (coins, rounds, bars), 8) Barter items – alcohol, liquor, cigarettes, chocolate, and any other items that may become highly sought-after, during a total economic shutdown – where even trucks aren’t routinely delivering food, or supplies to local stores. DO THE ABOVE, AT A MINIMUM – and, you’ll be in MUCH better shape, than the masses of un-informed Americans, who actually believe we are in a ‘recovery’, right now! It’s been 4 years, since the ‘downturn’ of 2008 – AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED! Imagine what A GLOBAL DEPRESSION would be like!

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com Ben Dover (America)

Oh – and the new currency (the global currency) will probably arrive in credit-card form. With a micro-chip embedded in it. They could turn off the chip whenever they want.